I’m doper than the Pete Rock remixes

Back when I was in high school, we didn’t have playlists, these newfangled iPod machines, or even digital music in general. Heck, when I was in high school, CD burners weren’t quite mainstream yet. That means we had to listen to CDs we purchased, borrowed, stole, or found on the side of the road. And if you were cool, you were a member of Columbia House or BMG.

If we wanted to put a stream of individual songs from different artists together, we created mixtapes – using actual tapes! — consisting of songs from CDs, or recording songs off the radio.

106 Jamz! Where hip hop lives!

I recorded three full tapes of songs off of Broadway Joe’s Playa Radio on the dearly-departed 106 Jamz in Chicago back in ‘95 and ‘96 (Broadway Joe was the most hilarious DJ I’ve ever heard). While I do still know the whereabouts of my No. 1 tape in the set, I unfortunately don’t know where the other two went.

But back then, when I listened to music way more than I do now, I would’ve loved an iPod, the ability to download music, and the ability to set up playlists.

So, in lieu of fulfilling this retroactive desire for something that didn’t exist at the time — and at the risk of embarassing and dating myself – I’m gonna break you off the track list from that tape I still have, i.e.: a playlist of some of the hip hop and R&B that would’ve been in my iPod circa late 1995/early 1996 — the height of my hip hop listening days (when hip hop was still more than just ringtones and rappers who can’t rap). Parental motherlovin’ advisory (to those for whom it matters, don’t say I didn’t warn you)…

Sugar Hill – AZ
AZ was one of the more underrated rappers of the 90s if you ask me.

(Some song whose name I didn’t record the DJ mentioning on air… by a group whose voices I don’t recognize… I can’t even find it by googling the lyrics…)

I Need You Tonight – Junior MAFIA f/ Aaliyah

Feel The Funk – Immature

Playa Hata – Luniz

How High (the “Fly Robin Fly” version) – Method Man and Redman
I have the version of this from The Show Soundtrack, but I can’t find this version anywhere, even for download in this new world of digital music. I think I may have to order the CD single on Amazon.

Buddah Lovaz – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
The billows of smoke visible when Bizzy Bone rolls down the car window explain everything you need to know about this song and the video.

Friday – Ice Cube

Just Tah Let U Know – Eazy-E

Love You For Life – Jodeci
For those who don’t know, it’s K-Ci and JoJo before K-Ci and JoJo, but with two other dudes, more of an edge, and a ton of awesome ol’ skool R&B songs from the early and mid-90s. But you really should know that. They were awesome.

Tonight’s Tha Nite – Kris Kross
High-school aged, wearing their clothes the right way, and they managed to get a post pop-rap song on rap radio… take that “Pumps and a bump!” I also enjoy how in the video they seem to be doing their best Wu-Tang impression by superimposing dozens of extra images of theirselves into the video.

Let’s Play House – Tha Dogg Pound

Hurricane – The Click
Sometimes radio versions of songs are better than the unedited versions. This is one of my favorite examples (unfortunately, someone dubbed in the unedited version over the video linked here). E-40 chooses to use the word “bootch” as his replacement word for the “B” word in the radio version, which I think is way better and exponentially funnier. I was calling everyone a bootch in ‘95.

You Remind Me Of Something – R. Kelly
I actually hated this song. For that matter, I still do. I don’t know I never taped over it.

E. 1999 – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
I’ll give you a large amount of money if you can stay on beat while reciting all of the lyrics to this song. Radio version or album versions acceptable. Bonus cash if you change your tone to represent each member of the group’s different parts, including the high-pitched Bizzy Bone part.

Respect – Tha Dogg Pound

Mary Jane (All Night Long) (Remix) – Mary J. Blige f/ LL Cool J

Throw Your Hands In The Air – DJ Muggs f/ Erick Sermon, B-Real, Redman, and MC Eiht

Fast Life – Kool G Rap f/ Nas

Gimme Yours (Remix) – AZ

I Got 5 On It (Remix) – Luniz f/ Dru Down, Shock G, Richie Rich, Spice One, and E-40

New York New York – Tha Dogg Pound
Everybody in the DPG had the tightest flows back in the day. One of my favorite DPG songs. Two things about the video: I enjoy how they have comforts from the west coast, aka, old pimped out cars w/ hydraulics awaiting them at the airport, and I doubt this video would fly today, what with Snoop, Daz, and Kurupt going all Godzilla on the NYC. It’s not that bad, but someone would probably find it insensitive.

I Ain’t Mad Atcha – 2Pac

~ by joshlos on November 20, 2008.